Six Words. One Story.

Hannah Carley - Study Abroad Advisor

Explore the world and discover yourself.

It’s so important to get out of your world and into someone else’s. When I was an undergraduate, I studied abroad twice and grew with each experience. Though I’d been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit with my family growing up, these trips challenged me in ways I hadn’t been challenged before. There were a lot of cultural differences that I really had to push through. I was uncomfortable a lot, especially in Russia, where I was one of four Americans working at a camp among 500 Russians. Now, as a study abroad advisor, I get to apply my passion for student travel. Most of what I do is market our programs to students, help them choose a program, and prepare them for their time abroad. Studying abroad helps you academically, it helps you professionally and it helps you personally. It changes you in the best possible way. Feeling each student’s excitement as they come into the office is infectious and it reminds me why I do what I do.

Hannah Carley - Study Abroad Advisor

Heather Howard - Copy and Print Services

Perfecting your print order every time.

 I graduated from here with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and now I work as an office assistant in Copy and Print Services. I want to relay the pride I have for being an alum and in working here every day. Part of what I do is fully inspect the print files and other items that come to the print shop and make sure they are the best they can be before they’re printed. If something looks off, I contact the customer and make sure it’s exactly how they want it. I try to communicate with them every step of the way, and when I hear back that we did a great job and the customer is satisfied – it’s pretty awesome. Recently, I helped a faculty member who was having difficulty setting up a card she was doing for students. We had to work together to figure out what size was right and the type of paper that would work best. When we delivered the printed cards, she said they were exactly what she was looking for. That always feels good. I’m proud to be a member of this organization and a product of this university.

Heather Howard - Copy and Print Services

James Grigg - Director, Facility Operations

Striving daily to make a difference.

 I’m the guy in the orange hat. It’s an identifying mark I’ve had since I worked at the Citadel. That was also a facilities operations job. I really enjoy this kind of work. Ask any of my employees, and they’ll say I’m always out and about on each campus, wearing my orange hat. We have a great bunch of people with positive, can-do attitudes, and it’s not always the most pleasant of circumstances when you see us – like repairing a toilet. My team usually works its magic behind the scenes, fixing problems and improving the environment that everyone works in. Facilities is full-speed, full-time. Even when students aren’t here, we’re busy. The landscape is a big part of how students and faculty feel about the university. It also impacts how visitors and prospective students look at our campus. The 15,000 tulip bulbs we planted this winter, now they’re blooming everywhere. I’m proud of the recent Arbor Day plantings we did with students – a new tradition of planting trees on campus and having students be a part of it. You can tell our university is going somewhere. It has a new brand, a new direction, and I enjoy being a part of that journey.

James Grigg - Director, Facility Operations

Stephanie Cohen - Clerkship Program Coordinator, Office of Student and Multicultural Affairs, MCG

Lovoria Williams - Director for Diversity and Inclusion, College of Nursing

Pavani Rangachari - Associate Dean for Practice & Community Health, CAHS

Brandford Adobaw - Student, Medical College of Georgia

Elizabeth Bishop - Senior Occupational Therapist, Pediatrics

Marsha Fox - Senior Staff Nurse, Georgia Cancer Center

Making hope a reality for others.

 I’ve been a nurse for 22 years and with the Georgia Cancer Center for 12. I’m an oncology nurse in the infusion room, where we administer chemotherapy, biotherapy, blood and blood products, antibiotics and IV fluids to our patients. I love what I do, and I love the people I work with. We have a great team of nurses here. Everyone gives of themselves quite genuinely to our patients. They don’t always see the same nurse, so it’s so important to know I can assure them, “Every nurse will take phenomenal care of you.” It can be quite scary coming here — we know that. So an important part of our job is to help patients and their families become more comfortable and to ease some of their stress. Once they get to know us their fear begins to lift, and we become almost like family. They are the most appreciative patients I’ve ever had. We have a bell in the unit that patients get to ring when they’ve completed their final treatment to celebrate with family, staff and other patients. It’s such a milestone for them and such encouragement for our patients. We are rewarded every day when we see the light of hope in their eyes.

Marsha Fox - Senior Staff Nurse, Georgia Cancer Center

Alicia Alvarado - Senior Staff Nurse, Digestive Health Center Clinic

I love giving patients individual attention!

 I’ve been a nurse here since 2001, and I’ve worked in many different settings, both inpatient and outpatient. That flexibility and the ability to keep learning is part of what keeps me here. Now I work in an outpatient setting, in the DHC Clinic, with patients who have gastrointestinal issues. The best part of my job is working directly with my patients. Here in an outpatient setting I do a lot of education — helping patients learn how to manage their conditions and keep themselves healthier. I get to see them get continuing care that helps keep them out of the hospital setting. And we’ll work with them as much as they need. The pharmacist and I were working with one patient recently, teaching him how to self inject his medication. He was quite nervous, afraid of needles like a lot of people are. We told him, “Hey, if you can’t do it, come on back and we’ll be happy to do it for you.” We gave him our direct numbers and offered to walk him through it any time if he wanted to call in. He was really appreciative, and he eventually learned to do it on his own. I really like being able to deliver that kind of individual one-on-one attention to my patients.

 Alicia Alvarado - Senior Staff Nurse, Digestive Health Center Clinic

Angie Gifford - Permanent Charge Nurse, NICU

Working in NICU keeps me smiling!

 I’ve been a NICU nurse at Children’s Hospital of Georgia for more than 23 years. I’ve worked every shift there is and done about every job that’s needed. Augusta is really a small town, so being in the NICU for so many years means I get to see many of our babies as they grow up and become adults. I run into them and their families around town, and as the kids grow up they come back to visit. You never know when someone might say, “Angie, look who’s here to see you!” Just recently, a baby I cared for with a serious heart condition came by to visit in the NICU. He’s 18 years old now and graduated from high school! It makes you feel great, makes you feel special to be involved in that success. It’s why working in NICU keeps me smiling! And though I’ve been here a long time, I’m not alone. We have a lot of 20+-year nurses in the NICU. Working in the NICU is very rewarding, but there are really difficult days too. Within the NICU we have a real feeling of teamwork, and it’s your co-workers who make the hard days survivable. The people you work with day-to-day — that’s what makes you keep coming back.

Angie Gifford - Permanent Charge Nurse, NICU

Pankhil Patel - Interim Lead - Identity Management & Access